Bowling game with pins separated by divider strips



Nov. 19, 1963 A. VERMEULEN 3,111,315

BOWLING GAME WITH PINS SEPARATED BY DIVIDER STRIPS Filed Aug. 21, 1961 INVENTOR, AURELE VERMEUL EN;

ATTORNEY United States The present invention relates to a bowling game characterized in that the bowling pins are adapted to be struck separately by a bowling ball and without the possibility of more than one pin being struck by a single ball at a time.

An object of the invention is to provide a game which requires less physical exertion for the playing of the same than is at present required in the playing of the standard ten pin game.

By way of example, in a ten pin bowling game it is customary to arrange the pins in triangular form on the bowling alley and the bowler then attempts to strike a pin or pins with the idea of making a strike. The bowler has no control of the pins in motion or standing outside of the balls path. With my invention, the element of chance, favoring or penalizing a player is completely eliminated and greater pleasure is afforded by the player striking bowling pins separately with single balls for a perfect score.

A further object is to provide a bowling game which requires a degree of skill in the playing of same to obtain a high score.

By way of example, I provide a bowling alley provided with elongated divider strips which are raised above the alley and separated to provide ball runs. Different divider strips are arranged in a certain relationship so that the player must use dexterity and skill to avoid certain of the divider strips which deflect the ball being played into a ball run which would have a low score. Obviously, certain of the ball runs have higher scores.

Other objects include a bowling game which may be played indoors, outdoors, in miniature or full size and which will afford maximum entertainment.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a form of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, sectional view on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, and on an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 33 of FIGURE 1, and on an enlarged scale.

In the form of the invention shown, I have for convenience used a standard bowling alley surface 20 but with side gutters 21 and 22 at the level of the bed or alley surface 20 and a ball return at 23. There is a pit 24 and the foul line is at 25. It is assumed that the distance between the edge 32 of the pit 24 and the foul line is sixty feet, although other distances are adaptable for the present game. I have provided pairs of divider strips at 26, 27, 28, 29, 39 and 31. The central divider strips at 28 and 29 extend from the pit edge 32 on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the alley playing surface or bed 20. The central pair of divider strips 28 and 29 are parallel and are sufficiently spaced apart to allow ball passage therebetween to a pin within said passage. This provides a central ball run which I have designated as 33. The divider strips 28 and 29 extend a certain distance on the playing surface or bed and terminate in inclined edges 34 and 35. As shown in FIGURE 2 the divider strips are of triangular or other geometrical cross section and provided with a guard extension. This holds true for all divider strips with the exception of those adjacent the gutters 21 and 22. The guard extensions 11 are positioned adjacent the pin end of the alley and said guard extensions do not extend the entire length of the divider strips 28 and 29, as best shown in FIG atent URE 3. The triangular cross section of said divider strips gradually reduces in height to form the inclined portions 34 and 35 merging with the playing surface, as shown in FIGURE 3. The next pair of intermediate divider strips 27 and 30 are parallel for a given distance on the playing surface 20 and gradually converge, terminating in inclined edges which merge with the playing surface 20, as shown at 36 and 37. The point at which the divider strips commence to converge is forwardly of the inclined end portions 34 and 35 of divider strips 28 and 29. This provides a narrow entrance way 38 between the intermediate pair of divider strips 27 and 30. The width or distance between the divider strips at this point is slightly greater than the six inch spacing between the central pair of divider strips 28 and 29. For example, the spacing may be ten inches. The outer pair of divider strips, 26 and 31, extend parallel to a point slightly forward of the inclined edges 36 and 37, to wit: 39 and 40, and then converge to narrow opening 41. The divider strips on the converging part have beveled ends at 42 and 43. The entrance way between the two outer divider strips 26 and 31 may be reduced to, say, an arbitrary figure such as eight inches, although shown in FIGURE 1 as but slightly narrower than entrance way 38. The distance from the entrance way for divider strips 26 and 31 to divider strips 27 and 30 is arbitrary but I assume, for the purpose of illustration, that the distance is twenty feet. The distance from the entrance end of divider strips 27 and 30 to the entrance end of divider strips 28 and 29 is approximately fifteen feet, leaving the length of divider strips 28 and 29 five feet.

The operation, uses and advantages of my invention are as follows:

The form of my invention shown in FIGURE 1 requires a high degree of skill and the divider strips are arranged so that the player must direct a bowling ball through the entrance 41 in order to make a play and strike one of the pins, straight if he wishes to hit the center pin but angularly if he is trying to hit either of the two outside pins. If the entrance 41 is missed, the ball is directed into the gutter due to the converging sides 39 and 40 of the outermost divider strips. If, however, the player directs a ball through entrance 41, the ball may pass through entrance 38 but if the ball does not pass therethrough, the ball will be received between divider strips 39 and 31 or 26 and 27 to strike any standing pin in said ball runs. If the player is skilled, the entrance 41 may be negotiated as, likewise, may entrance 38, whereupon the ball may be directed between divider strips 28 and 29 to strike the intermediate pin or into the ball runs between the divider strips 27 and 28 or 29 and 39. In each instance, the beveled edges of the divider strips where they merge with the alley floor, if contacted by the playing ball, will deflect the ball into or away from a given ball run. It is obvious that if the rules of the game provide that for five pins five balls be used, then it becomes evident that the game may be difficult to play because each time a ball is rolled a pin must be struck in order to make a high score. The chance of making a high score by striking all pins successively requires skill with the chance that even with a skilled player the ball will be played into a ball run wherein a pin has already been struck.

The invention will afford amusement with, as stated, one ball for each pin so that instead of striking a pocket to make a so-called strike with a single ball, each pin must be struck separately and if the number of balls or plays is restricted, the difficulty of playing the game increases.

I claim:

A game apparatus of the type in which a player rolls balls down an alley seeking to knock down an arrangement of pins including: an alley having a smooth bed 3 with parallel sides, a number of pairs of divider strips rising vertically from the bed to define ball runs, and a pin in each ball run; the central pair of said divider strips being parallel to the sides of the bed to provide a central inner ball run between them, the second pair of divider strips being spaced from the first-named pair to provide an intermediate ball run on each side of the central inner ball run, and the third pair of divider strips exterior of the second pair of divide-r strips being spaced to provide outer ball runs; the second pair being intermediate in length between the shorter first pair and the longer third pair; each pair of divider strips which form the outer ball run and the intermediate ball run converging toward the center line of the bed from a point proximate the ends of the next interior pair of divider strips to leave a narrow opening greater than the diameter of the ball, the width of said narrow opening between the intermediate divider strips being greater than the distance between the parallel central pair of divider strips, whereby a ball must enter the nearest of said narrow openings 'angularly in order to reach a desired one of the pins in an outer ball run, and must enter all three of the narrow openings in a direction parallel to the sides of the bed in order to strike the central pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

